Dept of conservation 2/30138 REPORT OF THE DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY 8818 new FRANK N. WALLACE, State Entomologist, Chief of Division. EVERETT SMITH, Inspector of Nurseries. ESTHER KERSEY, Clerk and Stenographer. NURSERY INSPECTION The nurserymen in Indiana are making strenuous efforts to keep their nursery stock free from insect pests and plant diseases. Their efforts are shown in the excellent stock found by the inspectors in most of the nurseries. In a few nurseries we held up the certificates until the owners had followed our instructions. San Jose scale continues to cost the nurseryman much time and money in control measures when it appears on nursery stock. Many nurserymen are now purchasing expensive spraying equipment and are giving their stock a regular spray program. This practically assures clean stock. As a rule we have very little complaint on nursery stock purchased from Indiana firms and it is a pleasure to find the nurserymen so willing to co-operate with us in producing good, clean stock. Some years ago we started putting the acreage of actual nursery stock on the certificate of each nurseryman. This does not work any hardship on the good nurseryman because it is no disgrace for a man to have a small nursery and just as good stock is produced in the small nurseries as in the large ones, but it does prevent some misrepresentation, which was practiced formerly by a few of the nurserymen. This year a total of two hundred ninety-eight nurseries were given an inspection certificate, but quite a few growers of berry plants were refused certificates on account of having diseases or scale insects present in their fields. If any purchaser of nursery stock should receive trees or plants, which they feel are not up to standard, we would like to be notified of the fact and specimens should be sent in to this office so that we can take the matter up with the nurserymen direct. The office is having less trouble with nursery agents than in former years. The law requiring the licensing of all nursery dealers and agents has been a very excellent one and we believe has saved the State many thousands of dollars. If any agents or dealers in nursery stock do not fulfill their contracts we would like to have a record of their dealing here in the office so that the matter can be looked into. We |